


Between stars and Northern Lights

by fishy_noot



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Skyrim Fusion, M/M, Noble Jean, Skyrim AU, Warrior Marco
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-02
Updated: 2016-11-04
Packaged: 2018-08-12 14:44:52
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 11,013
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7938541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishy_noot/pseuds/fishy_noot
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Skyrim is known for its harsh winters cold and warrior like inhabitants. Marco fits quite well in the nord stereotype by having taken the sword as a way of living. He wouldn’t call himself a full fledged mercenary, but he’s quite close to that definition. He sees an opportunity for good gold when he meets Sir Kirschtein, but soon finds out that there’s more to Jean than just cowardice and smugness.</p><p>Jean is a nobleman traveling to Solitude for some business that is not of your concern. He kinda expected to get a crush on the first cute warrior he met in Skyrim, but he didn’t expect for Marco -the cute warrior mentioned earlier- to become his personal guard. What turns out to be even more of a surprise is his new found interest in the Arcane Arts.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Falkreath

It was a fine day in Falkreath. Spring had arrived but season differences weren’t that strong in the valley. Maybe the only downside of spring was the increased bear attacks, but that only meant more work for someone like Marco. That someone being a bodyguard for hire. Mercenary when money was hitting low. 

He was good with both the bow and war axe and his patrons had paid him with enough gold for him to invest in a finer armor than the heavy iron one he had owned. Being the good warrior he was, Marco could have probably decided to apply to any guard of any city in skyrim. And he would have had plenty of chances of getting accepted, even in the royal one. Yet, he liked his freedom to move and therefore he had decided to abstain from those positions. Skyrim was in turmoil and he didn’t want to join a side. 

Evening approached fast, and just when he thought another day would pass without anything new, a couple of horse riding travellers arrived from the southern path. One was sporting a heavy armor and carried a mighty greatsword. The other one, a young man with an unusual haircut, was wearing some fine clothing that looked both warm and very expensive. A noble and his guard, then.

Marco, being the curious man he was, approached them and started some conversation, looking at the noble but expecting an answer from the guardsman. Nobles usually didn’t like to talk to peasants but liked to feel respected and awed.

“Good day, where are you coming from? It’s not every day travellers pass through Falkreath.” He said as he walked alongside them.

To his surprise, both the noble and guard answered. At the same time yet with different answers.

“From Cyrodiil.”

“Get lost.”

to his surprise, the nicer answer came from the noble. Even if the tone was dry and didn’t seem to have any intention to continue the conversation. Marco noticed there seemed to be a tension between the guard and the nobleman. Neither of them looked at each other and seemed to be avoiding communicating at all. Huh, interesting.

With the responses he had had, Marco decided to not intrude more in their problems and went back to the inn to get some food and ale. Not too long after he had ordered some roasted venison the main door opened and the travellers came inside while quietly arguing about something.

“If i go with you I’ll be the one to murder you instead of any bandit we’ll meet along the way.” 

“Well, then. Take this and go back to Cyrodiil.” Said the young noble. He counted a certain amount of gold and gave it to the guard.

“This is half we had agreed to.” Complained the now ex-bodyguard.

“Well, we only made half the journey i don’t see why i should pay you more.” Answered the noble. “And since you are no longer hired I won’t pay for any of your accommodations from this moment onwards.”

The bodyguard seemed to want to say something, but the noble had already turned his back on him and walked towards the counter where he asked for a room to stay in and some food.

As the nobleman sat down on the table, Marco decided to join him. It didn't take much thinking to guess that he was in need of a new bodyguard to travel with wherever he had to go, and that was one of Marco's favorite jobs. Good pay, covered travel spending and getting to move around Skyrim. Just what Marco loved the most. The only inconvenience was having to bear with snobby nobles.

“Sir, can I join you for dinner?” Asked Marco. At his words the noble man, that looked more like a boy, jumped slightly. 

“Y-yes, sure.” Said the startled traveler.

“Who am I having the pleasure of sharing this meal with?” Kept asking Marco. He was tired of referring to him as just the ‘noble’ or ‘traveler’.

“Full name is Jean Kirschtein.” Answered Jean, “yours?”

“Marco Bodt, at your service.” Replied the Marco while smiling. “I hope you don't mind me asking, sir, what brings an outsider like you to Skyrim? It's not everyday we see a nobleman from Cyrodiil in these lands.”

Marco waited for Jean to finish chewing his mouthful of food. Meanwhile he entertained himself by observing the looks of the young foreigner. By his name, Marco had assumed he was an Imperial, but his sharp amber eyes reminded him of the bretons from High Rock. Still, he had fairly tanned skin like most people from Cyrodiil.

“Well, I’m traveling to Solitude for some diplomatic things, as well as for personal interests in the bard's college.” Explained Jean. 

“Ah, so you fancy the art of the song?” Said Marco, slightly surprised.

“I abstain myself from singing for the better good” Marco chuckled at that comment, “but I’m a great follower of the art of the verse and wished to learn more of the poetic Edda, only a few books have reached the imperial capital.”

“That sounds very interesting.” Said Marco. “But I’ll have to admit I don’t know much about that topic.” His childhood as a farmer hadn’t given him an easy access to books, and he had been able to learn to read only when he joined the Companions in Whiterun.

“I could talk about it for whole days, but i’m sure that when I can get access to the whole scripture, I could talk about it for years.” Said Jean with a smirk.

“Ah, then I’ll be happy to hear about it, even if I don’t think I could follow a year long conversation.” Said Marco after laughing at Jean’s previous comment. Jean made a sound of agreement and silence followed as they ate.

When they were about to finish with their meals, Marco decided to bring up the topic he had been wanting to get to.

“Sir, I happened to hear your conversation with your bodyguard. Or, should I say, past bodyguard?” Started Marco, “Are you going to look for a new one? Because if so i could do the job.”

Jean’s shoulders tensed slightly and his face blushed, Marco assumed it was from having been seen in an argument. “Well, yeah. That...That would be great.”

“Nice!” Marco had been so close to go back to Whiterun alone since no jobs had been coming to Falkreath for some days. This seemed to be one of the best opportunities he had had in awhile.

“To be sincere, I never thought it would be so easy to find a new guard.” Commented Jean, “the one you saw left because we kept getting into arguments. I must warn you I’ve been told i’m quite an insufferable travelling companion. More than once.”

“Well, I have been told the opposite about myself so things might even out for us if we are lucky.” Said Marco with a playful tone. And it was true. His calm demeanor had made even the most annoying snobs become good conversation partners at some point in their journeys. Surely, Sir Jean Kirschtein would be no different.

Jean let go of a dry, curt laugh at his joke and muttered “I hope luck stays with us, then.”

“Should we discuss the details?” Asked Marco.

“Yeah, well. First of all, would 500 septims be good for you? I’ll cover all of your journey’s expenses too.” Said Jean.

“More than good! It sounds like a great deal to me.” Commented Marco. This was too good to be true. Surely there would be some kind of trick somewhere, or maybe his family was loaded. “Well, now it’s my turn, what route were you planning to take?”

“Me and my previous guard had thought of going from here to Rorikstead through the mountain pass, as we had been told it was the most common route.” Explained Jean. “But i’m completely open to changes since I know nothing about this land’s paths.”

“I guess your informers weren’t up to date with the recent events. A dragon now lives in the peak near the pass and attacks anything that moves through there. If we pass by Riverwood and then Whiterun we take a couple of days longer, but we get to stay alive.”

“Y-yeah, I think the second option is more suitable. Time is not a problem.” Said Jean. “Should we part tomorrow? I wanted to buy some provisions in the shop I saw on my way to the inn before parting, as well as anything you think would be better to have in case of an emergency. It’s my first time in Skyrim and i’ve heard both how beautiful and dangerous it can be.

“Yes sir, this land can be spectacular and it’s true that it might not be the most welcoming one. Yet I must say I’ve never been outside its borders so nothing to compare it to.” Commented Marco with a smile on his face. “The travel to Riverwood is rather short, we’ll have plenty of time to check on things before parting.” 

As Marco spoke, Jean started to yawn and seemed to be falling asleep while trying to listen to him. Marco told Jean to go to sleep, as he was probably tired from his journey and they decided to continue their conversation while having breakfast tomorrow. Jean retreated to his room with a nod towards him. Marco was about to retreat to his own quarter when the ex-bodyguard blocked his way.

“You should be careful with that milk-drinker.” Were his first words. “He’s a pansy.”

“Isn’t my job to protect pansies from harm?” Said Marco. “I know not everybody gets along well but he doesn’t look to be that much of a bother compared to other fancy noblemen.”

“Well, i thought the same but he’s the most coward man I’ve ever met. The boy got scared of even the tiniest spider. He would rather surrender and beg than fight in any kind of combat. That brat knows nothing about honor.” Explained the man. “That combined with his foul mouth, he sure talks for being what he is.”

“We spoke just fine, for what i could see,” Marco pointed out, “He truly doesn’t seem to be that much of a problem, and not everybody can have a warrior’s way of life.”

“If he calls himself a noble, he should know better than that. Maybe he spoke politely for once because he liked your pretty face” Added his ex-guard. “He is known to be a man lover and probably just wants to get in your pants. ”

With that final comment, the man left to his own room, leaving a speechless Marco in the main hall.

“Good luck with this, Marco!” Said Connie, the innkeeper. “And if it turns out he does want to get into your pants, it doesn’t sound that terrible! Think about it, fancy food and soft beds for the rest of your life!”

Marco smiled at his comment and went to his own room. He didn’t know what to make out of the guard’s conversation. He guessed only time would tell if his words were truthful or just mere badmouthing due to conflicting personalities. Jean Kirschtein didn’t seem to be a as terrible as other nobles had been. Marco didn’t want to tarnish their travel by overthinking things. It’s too soon to make any assumptions. He thought.

Surely, time would tell.

 

-o-

 

Jean had been laying in his bed for a while without seeming to be able to fall asleep. He had been exhausted until the moment he pressed his head on the pillow. Now he just kept turning and turning without seeming to find a proper sleeping posture.

His head wasn’t helping either. Nor his heart. He had told himself to not be a fool. He had told himself to keep his feelings away, but here he was with an instant crush on the first cute nord he had met in the first damn town of the damned province of Skyrim. Well, it would probably go away as the journey progressed and would be gone by the time they reached Solitude. Things would go smoothly for once, right?

Jean let a long sigh escape his lips. He kept going back to the memory of Marco laughing. His fair, freckled skin seemed to be glowing with the ember’s light and it all contrasted so much with his soft eyes and black hair. Could the boy be more gorgeous? Probably not.  
Jean closed his eyes once again, maybe this time sleep would come to him.

 

-o-

 

Marco woke up at his usual time and started with his daily morning routine: Shaving the patches of beard that grew unevenly on his cheeks, washing his face and, after going back to the main hall and greeting Connie, go outside to stretch a bit and empty his bladder.

When he came back, Connie had already started to brew an herbal tea with honey. It filled the hall with a sweet, uplifting smell that helped him wake up completely. Perhaps this was one of his favorite parts of the day. The quietness and the sunrise light made the town eerie and more peaceful than normal without the constant rumble of the lumber mill.

Marco sat down in front of the inn’s counter and without even saying a word, a wooden cup filled with the warm drink was in front of him. He held it between his hands to warm them up while he waited for it to cool down.

As Marco waited, Jean came out of his room. He was wearing a white linen v neck and had dark rings under his eyes. Jean stared at everything with a disoriented glare, as if he had sworn to hate the whole world but didn't know why. Marco smiled at his appearance. He looked so casual and for a second Marco could almost forget their differences in status.

When Jean’s eyes fell on Marco, they widened slightly in recognition and he walked up to his side to sit in the next stool. 

“Good morning, sir Kirschtein” greeted Marco with his usual smile. 

Jean gave a grunt as answer and Marco deemed it a good enough response. Without asking, the innkeeper gave him a cup of tea too and Jean stared at it with an even more confused glare.

“It’s a typical herbal tea of this area, with honey, to uplift you in the morning.” Explained Connie with a wide smile and a voice so loud that made Jean flinch. 

“And Connie's recipe is one of the best I've tried.” Added Marco. “Be careful, don't get burnt.”

Jean nodded in understanding and cupped the wooden mug. He brought it close to his lips and inhaled the steam that came from it. His expression instantly relaxed as well as his shoulders. Marco looked at his actions in amusement. He couldn't stop wondering if Jean’s morning behavior was always like this or if it was just due to a bad night. His eyes fixed on Jean's long profile, enhanced by his slender neck and protruding collarbones that peeked from the shirt’s collar. He still looked like a nobleman even wearing a simple white shirt.

“What are you looking at?” Jean's voice startled Marco from his staring. He looked back at his face and saw it was now slightly flushed. 

“Oh, sorry. I was just thinking that you are rather thin.” Commented Marco. 

Jean rolled his eyes at his words, but didn't seem offended by them. “My mother has tried all kind of ways to get me to gain some weight but didn't succeed. Instead, she opted for making sure clothing made me look bigger.”

It was true, yesterday's clothing hid his thinner frame but made him look a bit like a potato sack. Jean went back to stare at his tea and yawned, one of his hands covering his mouth. 

“How did you sleep?” Asked Marco. 

“I think I spent more time awake than sleeping. And when I managed to fall asleep a nightmare made me wake up in sweat.” Said Jean with a groan. 

“We could always stay here today if you prefer to rest.” Said Marco. 

“I might take you on that offer.” Said Jean.

“You can think about it while we have breakfast.” Suggested Marco.

Jean hummed in agreement and drank a bit of tea. His face lightened up and hummed again, this time with blatant enjoyment. Marco copied him and sipped at his drink. They drank in comfortable silence while Connie prepared some warm food to serve before they left to get supplies.

They were about to get up from the stools when a guard rushed inside. 

“Are you the travellers that wanted to go to Riverwood?” He grunted as he tried to get some air.

“What is it?” Asked Marco as he sat up, ready to run to get his sword if needed.

“They’ve seen a dragon roaming the area.” Answered the guard, “If I were you I would wait to go there.”

Marco agreed with him and asked about more details but there wasn’t much else they knew because nobody wanted to venture into the area. The guard left to keep with his duty and Marco turned towards Jean. The noble was sitting completely still, his shoulders tense and clutching his cup like it was the only thing keeping him alive.

“Are you fine, sir Kirschtein?”

“How normal are dragon attacks?” muttered Jean, still clutching the cup with all the strength he seemed to have. 

“They are rather rare” assured Marco, “the only attack in a major city was in Helgen a while ago. Haven’t attacked any other village since then and we’ve heard of very few cases of travellers being assaulted by one.”

“Probably because they are all dead,” Jean muttered to himself, “are you really sure it’s safe?”

“Really.” Marco tried to look as confident as possible but Jean didn’t look convinced. “Either way, we’ll better rest for today. You can sleep some more if you want. Just tell me when you want to go get the supplies.”

“I don’t think I’ll ever be able to sleep, knowing that there’s a dragon nearby” Huffed Jean, but he sat up anyway and looked at Connie. “Could i have a bucket of warm water?”

“Sure! I’ll bring it to your room when it’s ready!” replied Connie as he finished chopping some potatoes for the stew. “I can bring you some food with it too!”

“Yes, perfect.” Said Jean. With that he sat up and went back to his room.

Marco decided to go outside and ask the guards if they had received any more news about the dragon. Outside, the morning mist was still around yet the mill could be heard from the inn’s porch. Marco walked towards the Jarl’s hall where a couple of guards were talking. He greeted them and asked about the details as well as other news. Without realising, time flew by while they talked. Out of the corner of his eye Marco saw Jean’s old bodyguard come out of the inn. Marco excused himself and approached him.

“Hey!” Greeted Marco. “How did you sleep tonight?”

“Well, well, well, are you going to travel with Kirschtein?” Asked the man as a greeting. “I wish you all your luck then.”

“Thank you, I’ll travel with him, yes.” Said Marco, “And if things go bad at least I’ll have some money.”

“True. I’m just glad I’ll never have to see that prissy kid again. Maybe I’m getting too old for this kind of work.” And with that he walked away.

“Have a safe trip!” Called Marco before going back to the inn. Now he only had to wait until Jean was ready.

 

-o-

 

Jean startled from his book of poems when someone knocked at the door. He immediately went to open it thinking it would be the innkeeper with the water and food. He was met instead with his guard ‘previous guard, Jean.’ He thought.

“What do you want?” Said Jean with a curt tone, he didn’t have time for this.

“I’m going back to Cyrodiil now. I hope your journey is safe in these lands.” Replied the man. “The man you hired seems like a good person, it would be a shame if he died for your cause.”

“It would, I’ll hope our journey goes without incidents. Have a safe travel as well, it would be a shame for your gold to end up in some bandit’s hands.”

With that, Jean closed the door and went back to his book to forget about their hopefully last encounter. He was reading again his volume of the Poetic Edda and had filled it with papers full of notes. He thought about buying some more books soon. Maybe when we go to get the supplies, thought Jean.

Once again he was startled by a knock on the door. This time it actually was the innkeeper with his requests. He paid them and closed the door to wash himself, still feeling sweaty from his nightmares somehow. 

He used a wet cloth to scrub himself clean before eating his food. Once finished, he dressed up and went out of his room.

 

-o-

 

Marco heard Jean's door open and turned on his seat to talk to him. He had dressed up with his bulky clothing again. 

“Are you ready?” Asked Marco.

Jean nodded and they walked towards the shop. Marco arrived first and opened the door, offering Jean to go in first. The shop was filled with random stuff, as the owner had a particular need to hoard everything he could lay his hands on, weather it had any value or not.

“Welcome to Gray Pine Goods!’ Said the shopkeeper. “Can I help you?”

Jean looked at Marco, as he was the one who knew what they needed. Marco asked for some food as well as a bedroll for Jean, just in case something forced them to stay a night in the wilderness. As the shopkeeper got the stuff ready, Jean noticed two books in the counter that instantly got his attention.

“Can I have a look at these?” he asked. 

The shopkeeper looked at them and nodded, saying they were basically some spell tomes no one wanted to buy. Magic wasn’t a popular art between the nords. 

“I have some novels too somewhere, if you are looking for some interesting lecture.”

“These look interesting enough, thanks.” Replied Jean, already taking one of the tomes and reading the first page.

“Do you fancy magic?” Asked Marco with weariness. He didn't know much about it and had heard about the disaster in Winterhold. People said it had been caused by the college of mages.

“Well, i don’t know that much about it, my mother hates it and my father didn’t hold any interest in the Arcane Arts. I must admit I was always curious but never had the chance to try it out.”

“Heard it's quite dangerous.” Commented Marco.

“Says the mercenary that doesn't even blink at the mention of dragons.” Snorted Jean, his voice filled with sarcasm.

Marco didn't have words to get back at him, aware that Jean had a very valid point. 

The noble left the tome in the table and took the other one to examine it as well. He looked very concentrated and his permanent glare didn't move away from the page. Marco found himself looking at Jean again, amused by his facial expressions.

The shopkeeper came back with their supplies then, and both Jean and Marco broke from their respective trances. The shopkeeper seemed amused by it and winked at Marco, making him blush as he realized he had been staring at Jean in a way that could be misunderstood. 

“I’ll take these too.” Said Jean with his hand over the tomes. “How much is the total?”

“134 septims.”

Jean took out his coin bag and paid them without blinking. Marco wondered for a second how it would be to live without worry for money for all his life. He remembered his childhood with harsh winters and almost no food in the farm whenever the rains didn't come or the snow killed the crops.

“Hey, are you going to stand there the whole day?” Jean's voice broke his chain of memories.

“Sorry, sir” Said Marco, his smile returning to his face.

They left the store with their purchases. Neither of them said a word during the short walk towards the inn and Marco wasn’t sure if he was the only one not feeling completely comfortable with it.

As they arrived, Marco said he would store the food in the bags Jean had for the journey. Jean nodded and opened the room and pointed their location. Immediately after that, he sat down in the chair and opened the first of the spell-tomes. 

“What spell tomes did you get?” Asked Marco, his curiosity overstepping over his fear of magic.

“Healing and Candle light. According to their introductions, they seem to be some of the easiest spells to learn.”

“I see! They do could come in handy.” Commented Marco after storing their food and brand new bed roll. Maybe not all magic was dangerous, but he was still a bit weary of them. “Are you going to start reading now?”

“Yeah” Said Jean with a nod.

“Then I’ll leave you alone, probably go and check with the guards about that dragon.”

“Oh, tell me if you have news. I’ll be here until dinner probably.”

“Yes, Sir Kirschtein, see you later.”

Marco went to talk with the guards again. They told him it seemed like the dragon had left the area. Marco guessed many people would still not dare travel across the path so they probably would not find many travellers in their journey tomorrow. He decided to tell the good news to Jean at supper as to not disturb him during his magic experiments. The noble did look quite excited about them. 

 

-o-

 

Jean let go a breath of air the moment the door closed. Marco seemed like such a nice guy and he was trying so hard to not show his stupid crush on the boy. He was quite proud of how he was doing for now, but his sweet smile made Jean's heart skip a beat every single time. 

He breathed deeply again and concentrated on the books to ignore his foolish feelings. 

He took the spell tome of healing since it seemed like a good way to start. Surely i can’t injure myself with this, Jean thought. He opened the first page and started reading. It seemed quite simple if he followed the steps right. First, he had to read and learn the arcane words written in the book. He opened the page they were and studied them attentively. 

He started reading the book and immediately became immersed in it. Time passed flying as he read the steps again and again to make sure he didn't miss anything before absorbing the magic runes in it. 

Once he was confident enough with his understanding of the spell, he opened the page that contained the runes, breathed deeply and pressed his palms over them. Warmth started to spread from his fingertips to his arms and whole body. The runes glowed an amber color and the book started to disintegrate. Jean's mind blanked for a second as magic flowed through his body but soon everything went back to normal. The book had disappeared completely, not even leaving dust. 

Jean felt like always, but somehow he knew how to make the magic flow through his body and make the spell work. It was as if it's knowledge had been transmitted to him through the runes. 

Jean sat up and tried out the spell. He concentrated as hard as he could in the magic until an amber light surrounded his body and made his skin tingle. It seemed to be working, but he had no wounds to heal.

I'm not going to injure myself to try it out, Jean thought. He wasn't that desperate. Yet.

Jean breathed deeply and moved towards the window. He had been so immersed in the spell book he hadn't realized the sun had started to set. Jean decided it was probably best to stop his learning for today. He moved towards the door to go and get some food and find Marco. 

The moment he thought about the warrior, his insides fluttered with giddiness. Jean damned his feelings again, breathing deeply before opening the door towards the main hall. 

When he walked out of the room, a lovely smell made his stomach rumble. Jean ignored it and looked around searching for black hair and a freckled face. He found Marco sitting in the same table as they had been yesterday and approached him while trying not to blush. 

Don't stare at him too much, don't smile at him, no one will notice your feelings. He repeated in his head like a mantra.

Then Marco looked up, saw him and gave him one of his spectacular casual smiles accompanied with a wave. Jean tried by all means not to smile back, and failed. He did try to make it small, and failed again. 

 

-o-

 

Marco had stayed chatting with Connie for a while. The innkeeper kept teasing him about what he said was going to be the journey of love between Marco and Sir Kirschtein. Every time he used the phrase, Marco rolled his eyes. He had done it so many times his eyes hurt. 

He did consider Jean Kirschtein to be a handsome man, but Marco would never wish to kiss him. Jean was a nobleman and he had dealt with enough of them to find the idea repelling. They only worried about their status and lands and politics. 

“The food is ready, do you want some or do you wanna wait until your boy comes out of his room?” Said Connie. 

Marco rolled his eyes again but smiled at him. “I’ll wait for now, but I'll go and sit in the table with a bottle of mead to leave you a chance to speak with Sasha.”

Connie smiled at the thought of the food loving bard, who had just arrived, and shooed him away after giving him a tankard of mead. Marco got up and left to enjoy his drink in peace.

He sat and drank in silence until he heard a door open. There, he saw Jean and waved at him. The noble smiled back for once and Marco thought he imagined seeing a blush on his face. 

“Good evening, Sir Kirschtein. How did your afternoon go?” 

“I think it went well. Learned one of the spells but haven't had the chance at using it yet.”

“Well, I hope you get the chance soon.” Commented Marco. 

“It's the healing spell.”

“Oh.” 

Marco looked at the noble, worried about having offended him but instead he found him trying to contain his laughter only to let it go as a snort. Marco couldn't stop himself from laughing a bit too.

Once they had calmed down, Marco went to get some food in the counter. After an excessive amount of nudges and winks from both Connie and Sasha, he managed to get two plates of stew and bring them to the table. 

Their dinner tasted amazing thanks to Connie's cooking skills. They ate in silence, savouring every piece and then drank some mead while talking. Jean asked him about the dragon and he told him the news. After that, their conversation fell into more mundane things. Time passed without them noticing and soon they were both yawning.

“I think we should go to sleep, tomorrow we'll have a plenty of time to talk.” Mumbled Marco as he tried to contain another yawn. 

“True, good night, Marco.” Said Jean

“Good night, Sir Kirschtein. Rest well.”

 

-o-

 

Once in the privacy of his room, Jean removed his fine clothes and went to sleep. He felt exhausted, even if the only remarkable thing he had done during the whole day had been learning a spell. 

He covered himself with the wool blankets and fell asleep almost instantly.

 

Jean woke up slowly and stayed in the bed for a couple of seconds before he felt capable of sitting up. He washed his face and shaved the bits of beard that grew in his cheeks and over his upper lip before dressing up and packing all his belongings into his travel bag.

Once he deemed himself ready, Jean left the room and greeted Marco and Connie, who were already drinking tea.

“Did you rest well, sir?” Asked Marco.

“Yeah.” Said Jean as he sat down in the stool next to Marco. 

“The guards told me they haven't seen the dragon at all since yesterday so we are free to go.”

“Good.” sighed Jean. 

Connie served them some bread and smoked meat, as well as a cup of tea for Jean. Marco and Connie were talking about someone they knew so Jean zoned out while eating. Once they finished with their food, Marco went to pack their belongings in the horses and Jean paid his stay to Connie. He wished him good luck and a safe travel while winking, making Jean feel slightly flustered.

Once outside, Jean found Marco with his horses. 

“Let me go to say my farewells to Connie. I'll be back soon.” Said Marco with his almost permanent smile.

Jean nodded and took the horses reins, looking at the mountains as the morning light made them more impressive than usual. After a while, he heard the door open again and turned towards Marco, who looked slightly flushed and embarrassed. 

“Are you fine?” Asked Jean. 

“Yeah, yeah. Let's go.”

With that, they mounted the horses and started their journey.

 

-o-

 


	2. Riverwood

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Warning: graphic animal death

Marco breathed in the fresh morning air as he listened to the birds chirping. If there were birds, it usually meant there was no danger nearby. Still, he had his bow close and ready, as well as his greatsword.

 

Jean had opened up a bit and they had talked about his business in Solitude. It seemed his family was related to the East empire company and he needed to negotiate with the Jarl to make a contract that would allow commerce with more variety of products and a different tax system. 

 

“So, how would this tax work?” Asked Marco.

 

“It would be a percentage based in the valued goods. Therefore, the more expensive things you buy, the more you pay. This translates to lower taxes for the poorer people without reducing the amount of taxes collected by the local governing power. This would allow people with lower incomes to have more available money compared to the current systems. Moreover, it would automatically adjust to good and bad times. When people feel richer and consume more, more taxes are collected. And the opposite is true when things don’t go so well. This way, farmers won’t feel strangled by a fixed tax when they have a bad harvest. Moreover, the noble families would not feel it as unfair as they could just spend less if they wanted to. And the higher taxation would imply that they are much wealthier which, by my experience, they tend to welcome.” He explained with a special light on his eyes. Then, he seemed to notice he had been talking a lot and blushed slightly. “I started to ramble, didn’t I?”

 

Marco chuckled at Jean’s embarrassment and nodded. “Oh, but it does sound great, it’s very interesting and I’m sure it’ll be better than what we have now.”

 

“That's the point.” Said Jean. Even if the tone of his voice was slightly sarcastic, Marco could see that Jean was proud of it. He tended to smile when talking about his ideas. Marco laughed at Jean's comment but suddenly noticed there was something off.

 

Birds weren’t singing anymore. 

 

Jean was going to say something but Marco shushed him as he drew his bow. They both stopped their horses and kept completely still. Everything around them was silent.

 

Marco heard the crunching sound of spider legs from the path ahead and aimed towards the sound. 

 

When the spider finally emerged into the path, Marco immediately shot an arrow at it and quickly shot another one. These things usually needed more than one good hit to go down. 

 

The spider squirmed but stayed on its feet and spat venom at Marco. Luckily, most of the venom landed on his armor and protected his skin from damage. A few drops landed on his uncovered face but he was too concentrated to notice. Marco drew another arrow and hit the spider's head. 

 

The animal fell to the floor, twitching for a few seconds before stopping moving completely.

 

Marco ignored the ice burning on his cheek and dismounted his horse to retrieve the arrows from the spider. He still observed their surroundings, searching for more spiders that could attack them but the area was clear. Marco turned towards Jean and asked if he was fine. He didn’t look like he was ok.

 

Jean was trembling and his hands gripped the saddle like it was his life source. His gaze was fixed in the now dead spider. 

 

“Sir, Sir Kirschtein,” Marco called, still with no answer. “Jean.”

 

Jean finally looked at him. He gaped, no words managing to come out of his throat. 

 

“Sir, are you hurt?” Asked Marco again. 

 

“I-i, wait. I should be asking you that!” Jean said, his scowl back in his face. Marco chuckled, glad that he was back to his normal character and that he hadn't minded being called by his name, “Does your face hurt?”

 

“I'll be fine, those spiders have a rather weak venom.” Answered Marco. He was about to wipe his face with his gloved hand when Jean bellowed him to stop. 

 

“Don't use your damned glove.” Commanded Jean while taking a handkerchief from his pocket, wetting it with a bit of the water they had and giving it to Marco. 

 

“But I will ruin the handkerchief, sir. It looks expensive.” Countered Marco. 

 

“Shut up and use it, I have a couple more.” Said Jean with a look that dared him to not follow his orders. 

 

“Is this silk?” Asked Marco when he took it on his hands. It was a simple white cloth but shined in a way Marco had never seen.

 

“Yes and it doesn't matter. Clean yourself.” Prompted Jean.

 

Marco removed the spider spit from his face. His skin felt as it was burning in the areas the frost venom had landed but the coolness of the wetted handkerchief helped soothe the pain. 

 

“Is it better now?” Asked Jean. 

 

“Yeah, thank you, sir.” Said Marco with a smile. The affected areas still felt like they were burning but not as strongly. “I'll give you back the handkerchief when I manage to get it clean.”

 

“Oh, you can keep it.” Commented Jean. “I told you I have more.” 

 

Marco looked at the piece of cloth. It was now dirty with spider spit and his own sweat but he could still distinguish an embroidered symbol that probably represented Jean's house. Below it, the initials JK could be seen.

 

“Just keep it, I never end up using them anyway.” Insisted Jean. Marco nodded and stored the handkerchief in his small travel bag. 

 

Jean gave one last look at the spider before asking to continue advancing. Marco nodded and mounted his horse again.

 

-o-

 

After the attack, they had remained silent for a long time, none of them having anything to say. Jean was fine with that, since he was trying to seem calm and collected and talking would probably reveal his shaky voice. Not even two hours in their journey and Jean had already seen a monstrous spider. It wouldn't have been so bad if he didn't already felt scared of their tinier cousins. 

 

Now the path seemed clear and free of any kind of aggressive creature but he feared that he would die of stress if this was how his trip was going to go across the Skyrim’s province. He was slightly regretting all his life’s decisions that had taken him to this moment.

 

Jean stopped his inner banter to look at his surroundings. Here and there he saw small paths that seemed to lead to ancient nordic ruins built in the distant mountain’s rocks. They had been riding along an uphill curve when the path split into two. Jean was pretty sure that they would take the path of the right, but he looked at Marco to confirm it anyway. 

 

“We’ve reached the lake!” Exclaimed Marco when he turned his gaze. His face was kinda red due to the spider's venom but he didn't seem fazed by it, smiling as if nothing had happened. 

 

“What was it’s name?” Asked Jean, only being able to see glimpses of water through the trees and rocks. 

 

“Ilinalta. There’s a magnificent view of it further into the path. I was thinking we could make a break there to eat, when we are right next to the shore.” Suggested Marco.

 

“Sounds good to me.” Agreed Jean. 

 

They took the path towards the right and soon Jean found a gap between trees that allowed him to see the waters from the path. The day had clear skies but the area still was surrounded by morning mist, making the view of the lake stunning. 

 

As they kept moving east, the path lowered until they were riding right next to the shore. The lake waters shimmered when the wind stirred the surface and the sun shone with a warm light that created small bright patches in the path. Further away, he could see the silhouettes of the mountains through the mist. Jean marveled at the splendid landscape that was so different from the city he had grown up in. 

 

Jean turned to look at Marco, who was also admiring the view. His gaze immediately fell on his swollen skin and even then Jean thought he was handsome. Something about his gentle demeanor drew the noble towards the warrior. 

 

“Does it hurt?” Jean asked. 

 

Marco turned his head to look at him directly and gave him a lopsided smile. Jean's heart skipped a beat at that and bitted his lower lip, not wanting his face to show his feelings. 

 

“It doesn't really hurt, sir. More like the opposite. I cannot feel anything and I don't think I can move my cheek muscles.” Said Marco. That explained the half smile he had given as well as his weird intonation. “It's not a very strong poison, my face should be back to normal before we reach Riverwood.” 

 

“Good to know.” Said Jean with a curt nod. He was glad to hear that.

 

Silence settled between them again so Jean went back to admiring the views. He had never seen a lake as big as that one, specially when it was right next to such tall mountains.

 

“Sir Kirschtein, we should reach the place where I thought we could eat soon. The view is even better from there.” Commented Marco. 

 

“Sounds good to me.” Agreed Jean. His stomach was starting to rumble and his butt hurt from sitting for too long on the horse. ‘By the end of this journey it'll have the shape of the damn saddle’.

 

Like Marco said, it didn't take them long until they reached the place he had mentioned. And it was true, it had spectacular views. The mountains mirrored almost perfectly into the lake, their reflections broken by the breeze or the many dragonflies that were there. Trees grew around the area, giving plenty of shade over some rocks that were perfect for sitting. 

 

“So, today we have hard bread with smoked pork chop, I hope it's to your liking, sir.”

 

Jean chuckled at Marco's comment. “My favorite.” He said with a slight tone of irony. 

 

They both dismounted their horses and without asking Marco took the food from the satchel to prepare the simple meal. Jean found himself with nothing to do so he just stared at the little waves that reached the shore.

 

“Here you go, sir Kirschtein.” Called Marco from his back.

 

Jean looked at the meat filled bread and then at Marco, who was giving him again a lopsided smile probably due to the spider’s poison. Fortunately, the swelling seemed to be going down.

 

“Your face is getting better.” Said Jean while taking the stuffed bread.

 

“Is it, sir? Maybe I'll be considered handsome by the time we get to Riverwood” Joked Marco.

 

“You already look-” Jean blurted out while feeling his face heat up at his slip up. “I mea-”

 

Marco laughed while apologizing for his rudeness. ‘He doesn't look sorry at all’. Jean thought while posting. He started eating his food, giving his back to Marco and sitting down on a nearby stone as he tried to look as upset as possible to hide his embarrassment at having almost admitted he found Marco handsome.

 

His tantrum soon faded as he stared at the landscape again. From this close to the lake, the sunlight made the ripples near the shore shine with pretty patterns. Bright colored dragonflies buzzed nearby and the impressive mountains rose from the lake towards the sky. Jean started muttering some verses to himself, words coming to him naturally after many years of writing poetry to himself. 

 

He felt at peace. 

 

-o-

 

Marco was amused by Jean's behavior and kept observing him instead of watching out for spontaneous bandit attacks. 

 

He should have guessed that a noble like Jean would get upset at his casual joke, but nonetheless he hadn't expected his unique reaction. The young man had flushed red at his slip up, proceeding to pout and grumble like a kid as he sat far away from Marco and made a point to look somewhere else instead of acknowledging his presence. He's literally throwing a tantrum, thought Marco with a smile on his face. 

 

Marco wondered for a second why he found Jean so different from other nobles. He did act with an air of snobiness but somehow Marco didn't find it insufferable, just amusing. 

 

Marco decided to let Jean be and ate his meal in silence while enjoying the view. He thought of how clear the water looked and remembered the dirty handkerchief Jean had given him. Maybe he could clean it once he finished his meal to take away the grime on it. 

 

He looked back at Jean and saw his pout was no longer there. The noble had finished eating and was now gazing at the landscape with a soft expression. Marco kept observing him and noticed he seemed to be muttering something. Marco shifted to try to get a better look at Jean's face and see what he was saying, but the noble noticed his movement and turned towards him. 

 

“What.” Jean said, looking at him and frowning.

 

“Sorry, I just thought you were talking.”

 

Jean blushed slightly at his comment, his pale cheeks turning pink while he looked away in embarrassment.

 

“It was nothing.” Muttered Jean.

 

Marco realized that whatever Jean was doing, he didn't want to tell so he finished eating and removed the handkerchief to wash it. The water was cold and transparent and helped remove most of the murk, leaving it almost as the same color it used to be. Marco squeezes it to remove as much water as possible and hung it on the traveling bags for it to dry. 

 

“Sir, do you want to keep moving?” Asked Marco when he turned back to look at Jean.  
Jean was already looking at him and seemed slightly startled when Marco caught him staring.

 

“It seems we are fair now.” Chuckled Marco.

 

“Hm.” Jean said while rolling his eyes. He seemed to have gotten over his tantrum and was back to his sarcastic self. 

 

“Do you want to keep moving?” Asked Marco.

 

“Sure.” Said Jean with a curt nod. 

 

-o-

 

They got back on the road and continued with their journey. They crossed a couple of travellers, some farmers that were traveling to Falkreath to sell their crops now that the dragon was gone. Jean and Marco ended up talking about the spell the noble had learnt and what little he knew about the schools of magic.

 

“So as far as I have understood, there are 5 schools of magic: Restoration, alteration, illusion, conjuration and destruction.” Explained Jean. 

 

“Impressive, and what schools are the spells you bought from?” Asked Marco. He still felt slightly weary of magic but his fears faded as he learned more about it. 

 

“Healing, the simplest restoration spell and candlelight, from alteration.”

 

“Sorry, Sir. What did Alteration do again?” He asked, trying to understand better the subject.

 

“Oh, Alteration is the kind that affects the physical world so the effects can be detected by everyone.”

 

Marco nodded as he tried to understand, he shifted his grip on the bow, ready in case they were attacked. He had heard howling from far away and they were moving towards the source. 

 

Jean asked him if he thought they were in danger and Marco nodded. He told him about the howling, but also told him that wolves were easier to kill than spiders. “Wolves will run away if they see you are more powerful, spiders won't.” 

 

Jean nodded but said nothing. He was nervous about another attack and clutched the reins more firmly as if that would help somehow. 

 

The path started to go down towards the river that flowed from the lake. Just around the curve, Jean noticed three engraved monoliths standing on the side.

 

“We've reached the guardian stones” Said Marco as he dismounted from the horse. Jean followed suit to take a closer look. “The warrior stone, the mage stone and the thief stone. You can pray for one to give you their blessing.”

 

Jean moved closer to them and examined the engravings. That's when they heard the growling. Loud and clear and approaching fast. Jean turned towards the source and saw Marco was already drawing his bow. He shot at arrow to the closest of the three wolfs and hit him right in the face, the animal falling dead on the ground. The other two were already too close so Marco took his great sword and slayed the next one without batting his eyes.

 

To Jean's dismay, the last one shifted away from Marco and moved directly towards Jean. 

 

He curled up and crossed his arms to protect his body, his back hitting one of the guardian stones. When the beast was about to attack he shot his eyes and felt his left forearm being teared down.

 

Jean bellowed in pain and opened his eyes only to see the animal being slayed almost in half by Marco's blade. The wolf’s jaw was still biting down on his flesh and blood was oozing from his sleeve, his sight was slightly blurry and he was feeling like he was about to crash. Jean tried to breathe normally but air didn’t seem to reach his lungs and the pain didn't let him think right. 

 

“Sir Kirschtein! Don’t move, please!” Marco said and his voice broke him from his numbness. “Let me help.”

 

Jean didn’t move as Marco approached him and took the animal away from him. Once his arm was free, Marco quickly moved to his side and cradled the wound to examine it.

 

“We need to stop the bleeding, sir. Let me get a cloth.” Said Marco, rushing towards the horses to find something that he could use.

 

“W-wait, l-let me try something out,” muttered Jean with a weak voice as he extended his uninjured hand in front of him. He tried to ignore the pain to cast the healing spell. Soon an amber light surrounded him, his skin tingled and his wound felt warm as his pain dulled to a minor ache. Seconds later, the pain was completely gone and Jean stopped his casting. He felt a little bit dizzy, whether it was from the blood loss or the magic, Jean didn’t know. 

 

Jean moved his hand. There was no pain but his skin and sleeve were covered in blood. He breathed deeply once, twice. He looked at Marco for a second and saw his awestruck face before closing his eyes and resting his head onto the stone.

 

“Fucking bless me.” he muttered to himself. Not believing that it had actually worked. 

 

-o-

 

Marco was speechless. 

 

Amber light had appeared out of nowhere and Jean no longer seemed to be in pain. Not that he could check since blood was covering the whole arm. Jean’s expression was serene now, only slightly exhausted as he muttered something Marco couldn’t quite hear.

 

For an instant, Marco thought the Mage stone glowed. 

 

Jean had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply. The guard stared at him for a couple of seconds more before getting back to action and taking the still humid handkerchief Jean had given him.

 

“Sir, let me clean your arm.” Said Marco as he approached Jean and crouched in front of him. 

 

Jean looked up at Marco and raised his arm without questioning. The sleeve was torn into shreds and stained permanently with blood. “I hope my mother doesn’t get to see this or I’ll die for sure.” He joked with a tired smirk.

 

“I’m sure your mother would be more worried about how you managed to get it shredded.” Commented Marco as he started removing the drying blood. As he rubbed, Marco realized there were no scars in Jean’s skin.

 

As he worked, Marco realized he had failed at his job. Jean had gotten hurt and if it hadn’t been for his newly discovered magic he would be in pain and have lifelong scars. Marco should have been faster and not let the wolf reach the noble. This had been just a pack of wolfs, what would have happen if some bunch of bandits had ambushed them? The feeling of guilt made his stomach churn.

 

“I’m sorry.” Said the guard as he finished cleaning up Jean’s arm.

 

“For what?” Asked Jean, who didn’t seem to care about what could have happened.

 

“Sir, I-” mumbled Marco, “I failed at my task, you got hurt. If it wasn’t for your magic…”

 

“Marco, it’s fine.” Jean cut off Marco, “it could have gone terribly wrong but it didn’t. You cannot take 3 opponents at once. No one can, and it’s partly my fault, too. I know I’m weak. To put all the responsibilities on you is unfair.” 

 

Marco looked up at Jean’s face. He remembered the words Jean’s old guard had said, he’s a coward. He couldn’t stop himself from smiling. In some way, his weakness made him stronger.

 

“Thank you, sir Kirschtein.” He said with a soft smile on his face.

 

For once, Jean gave a smile of his own. It was rather subtle, but enough to reach his eyes and light up his whole face. Marco hadn’t seen Jean smile much, and never so bright. It made his stomach go warm in a pleasant way.

 

Marco stood up and offered his hand to Jean, who seemed thankful for the help. When he was on his feet Jean wobbled for a couple of seconds and clutched Marco’s hands to balance himself.

 

“Are you fine?” Asked Marco with furrowed brows, Jean looked rather pale.

 

“I’m just dizzy, and tired.” Answered Jean. 

 

Marco nodded and helped Jean move to his horse and stayed close in case Jean didn’t have the strength to push himself up. Jean managed to lift himself, only to almost fall to the ground again when he tried to pull his leg to the other side.

 

Marco, now that they were out of danger and unwounded, cleaned his blood stained sword with the dirty handkerchief, took the forgotten bow and retrieved the momentarily forgotten weapons.

 

Once he was up on his horse as well, they went back to the path and rode along the river’s shore. Marco kept observing Jean, who seemed to sway from time to time in exhaustion. The bloodied sleeve didn’t help him look any better.

 

“We are very close from Riverwood, sir.” said Marco to uplift Jean’s mood.

 

Jean nodded at him but remained silent. 

 

They soon could heard the rumble of the mill. Marco made the horse move faster to reach the door and Jean followed close by. As they got close, the town's guard noticed the blood in their clothes and rushed to check if everything was allright. Marco told him about the incident while they moved towards the inn.

 

Marco dismounted from the horse and took both his reins and Jean’s horse once they reached their destination. Jean tried to do the same without falling face first into the floor and somehow accomplished it. Once they were inside with their bags, Marco asked for two rooms to the innkeeper, a small blond woman with icy blue eyes.

 

“Thanks to the dragon and sadly for you, I only have one free room for once in my life. Almost nobody dared to venture south.” Said the innkeeper with a monotonous voice. “The good news is that the bed is big enough for two.”

 

Jean and Marco looked at each other awkwardly before Marco came up with an idea. “I could just lay the bed roll in the floor and sleep there.”

 

“We have a rat problem, it's not a good idea. Just sleep on the damn bed. It's there for that.”

 

Both Marco and Jean felt intimidated enough by the tiny innkeeper to not add further comments or complains. 

 

“Can you get a bucket of warm water in the room too?” Asked Jean.

 

The innkeeper said nothing, staring at him and his bloodied sleeve before pointing with her head at the room in the left and turning towards the hearth fire. 

 

Jean moved into the room, followed by Marco. It was rather spacious and the bed was quite big as the innkeeper had said. Marco laid their belongings over the dresser when Jean asked Marco to close the door.

 

Once it was closed, Jean removed his cape and tunic, only leaving the white linen shirt Marco had seen on the first morning. It still had dried blood on the sleeve, but Jean quickly pushed it up to his elbow and started rummaging between his belongings until he found a clean, similar looking shirt.

 

“What will you do with the ruined clothes, sir?” Asked Marco as he took his tunic’s tattered sleeve. 

 

“I don't know, do you think they can be fixed?” Said Jean.

 

Marco took a look at the clothing. Blood was difficult to remove, and the holes and tears that the wolf had made had destroyed the embroidered pattern of the cuf. 

 

“Maybe you could turn it into a sleeveless tunic for summer.” Suggested Marco. “But I don't know much about fine clothing, sir.”

 

Jean nodded and sighed. “I have a vest somewhere. Not the warmest thing but it will do.”

 

“Maybe I could go and ask in the shop? I wanted to visit the blacksmith anyway.”

 

“I'll get something in Whiterun.” said Jean. “I was planning on staying there for a couple of days anyway.”

 

“I see,” said Marco while hovering near the door. “I’ll go now then but i should be back soon.”

 

Jean hummed his reply while examining the shirt’s broken sleeve. Marco left the room, closing the door softly and nodding to the innkeeper as a greeting while walking towards the exit.

 

Riverwood was a small town and the Blacksmith was almost right in front of the inn, just a house further down the path.

 

“What can i do for you? Do you want to protect yourself, or deal some damage?” Said the blacksmith.

 

“I wanted to get some extra arrows and oil for the greatsword. Didn’t have time to clean it properly.” Said Marco.

 

“Ah, you are the guard that came just now with the bloodied noble. Everybody knows ya’ll by now” Said the man while grabbing some from a barrel. “I hope the bite didn’t infect that noble of yours with some disease, wouldn’t be the first time.”

 

“I’ll keep an eye on him.” commented Marco.

 

The blacksmith gave the arrows to Marco and asked for the greatsword to clean and hone the blade. Once the sword had been treated, Marco gave him his thanks as well as the septims it all had costed. The blacksmith, who had introduced himself as Reiner, wished him both a good day and a safe journey. “And come back again whenever you feel like it, i’ll love to hear more about you both” He said with a wink.

 

Marco went back to the inn while thinking about what Reiner had meant with that last comment, but soon forgot about it. Once he was back in the inn, he asked the innkeeper for some food before knocking on the door of their room. 

 

-o-

 

Jean was feeling much better after cleaning up and laying down for a bit. He was putting his shirt on when he was startled by the knock and sudden movement of the door. 

 

“Next time you come in wait until i give you permission,” Jean told Marco once he was inside. He didn’t want to risk being seen naked by his crush. 

 

“Sorry, Sir Kirschtein.” Said Marco, who just seemed surprised, “I’ll be more careful.”

 

Jean didn’t say anything, concentrating on straightening up his shirt and putting on the vest to not think about his feelings and trying not to show his red cheeks. The leather had embroidered patterns on it and fitted his body in a way that made him look slender instead of scrawny. He could imagine his mother yelling that it made him look too thin, too small compared to his brothers but she wasn’t here and what she didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her. 

 

“It looks great on you, sir.” Marco’s voice snapped Jean out of his thoughts. “It makes you look sophisticated, like those fancy elfs.”

 

Jean blushed at both Marco’s comment and his dazzling smile. “Thanks?” And after a moment he added with a raised eyebrow and a smirk, “Does this mean the other robe didn’t look good?”

 

It was Marco’s turn to blush. Caught off guard, he couldn’t stop a nervous giggle . “I didn’t mean that… but it’s true it made you look kinda baggy.”

 

“That’s what I tell my mother but she insists on policing my wardrobe.” Commented Jean.

 

“It might be a mother thing.” Said Marco with another chuckle that made Jean blush again. “Ah, before i forget. I got you an apple since you didn’t look fine before. Maybe eating something will give you some energy back.”

 

Jean was surprised by Marco’s act of kindness, but then again, Marco acted like a kind person all the time. He took the offered fruit and bitted on it. It was sweet and juicy and made him realize he was feeling quite hungry indeed. As he ate, Marco told him about his short trip to the blacksmith’s.

 

Their conversation shifted topics as time went by without them noticing. Dusk had arrived and the smell of stew reached them, making their stomachs growl in hunger.

 

The inn's hall was now filled with people, both from town and the travellers that were staying there. The bard, a tall man with dark hair, was playing a soft melody with his lute and a couple of drunks were singing along with their tankards of mead in hand. Jean's gaze fell to the bard and thought of talking with him when he had the chance.

 

Jean and Marco went to ask for food on the counter, where the innkeeper was standing with the same glacial expression. Reiner was sitting in one of the stools and talking to her while watching the bard play. 

 

“Good evening,” greeted Marco, “we wanted to get some stew.”

 

“Hey, Marco.” said Reiner, “and good evening, sir, I heard you managed to heal your arm with magic. That is quite impressive if I say so, not many mages around here.” 

 

“I just know that one spell, learned it yesterday.” said Jean, before remembering what Marco had said the other day and adding “I never expected I would have the opportunity to use it so early.” 

 

Marco smiled at the comment, “I had hoped you wouldn’t need to use the spell at all.”

 

The food was served and they ate while talking with Reiner, who told them all they needed to know and more about the small town. Once he learnt of the noble’s interest in poetry Reiner told Jean he would introduce him to Berthold, the bard. 

 

Once he was done singing, Reiner called Bert and introduced him to Jean. They engaged in a long conversation about poetry books until people claimed Berthold back and he left to sing again. Soon after that, both Jean and Marco felt too tired and left to their room. 

 

Jean sluggishly removed his boots, belt and vest only to throw himself on the bed and doze off. He thought for a second that he would have to share the bed with Marco, but he was too tired to think.

 

-o-

 

Marco took his gauntlets off before turning to say goodnight to Jean. He was already laying on the bed without even having put the blankets over himself. 

 

“Sir, you should cover yourself if you don’t want to catch a cold.” Commented Marco. He knew the noble would probably ignore him since he seemed to be already asleep. 

 

Jean mumbled something incoherent and made a half assed effort to put himself under the blankets. Marco finished removing his armor before moving towards the free side of the bed. He pulled the blankets from under Jean and dragged them back up over both of them.

 

Marco laid on the bed and sighed at the softness of the mattress before turning to one side, his back towards Jean. Soon, he was asleep too.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was almost finished when i posted the first one but i still had to edit it, and then jeanamrco week came and bodtom week is coming up and i wanted to participate. Special thanks to my sis, who used her magnificent economics degree and wrote that paragraph about the percentage tax for me and kicked my butt into writing. Also, thank you for reading until the end of this chapter. Hope you have a good day/evening/night.
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are apreciated. You can also come say hello on [ twitter ](https://twitter.com/Palolo_Noot) or tumblr, where you can find a couple of doodles and rants about this AU [ here ](http://pololotp.tumblr.com/tagged/dorkakiins)

**Author's Note:**

> I gotta say I was so very tempted to call this fic Dorkakiins.
> 
> Also, thanks for reading this and I hope you enjoyed it! I would love to hear what you think in the comments or on [my tumblr](pololotp.tumblr.com), where you can also find some [ doodles of these dorks](http://pololotp.tumblr.com/tagged/dorkakiins). 
> 
> Special thanks to [sis](zuzupan.tumblr.com) and [soulbro](thememerycorner.tumblr.com) for reading it, pointing out mistakes and bearing with my constant hype since July (when this idea was born) as well as constantly reminding me to write.


End file.
